Car-coupling.



No. 635,498. Patented Oct 24 I899 s. J. MEEKEB.

GAB COUPLING.

(Application mod Hair. 18, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

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STEPHEN J. MEEKER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,498, dated October 24, 1899. l

Application filed March 18, 1899. Serial No. 709,646. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. MEEKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, Essex county, State of New J ersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following description, taken in connection with the drawings herewith accompanying, is a specification.

Oar-couplers, as well understood, are secured in connection with the car through the medium of a spring or springs in a manner to be longitudinally movable relative thereto. This is necessary so that the couplers may give or yield when brought together in the act of coupling or in the starting and stopping of the cars, as otherwise they would be liable to breakage or displacement. To provide for this independent movement of the coupler relative to the car, a chain or other form of loose connection is provided between the pin or other locking device of the coupler and its operating lever upon the car. After the spring with which the coupler is connected has become weakened, however,through more or less use it allows the coupler when in use to be drawn outward from the face or end of the car beyond its normal limit of movement and beyond the limit allowed by the connection between the coupling-pin and its operating-lever on the car, in which event the strain comes upon the center lever-bracket on the car and either draws or breaks the same from the latter. Such outward movement of the coupler beyond its normal limit also causes the coupling-pin to bind against the sides of its opening in the draw-head and so prevent or interfere with its free and proper operation. To avoid such objectionable features arising from the usual arrangement of having the lifting-lever supported in bearings against movement in the direction of longitudinal movement of the coupler has been the object of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the end sill of a car with a coupler and its unlocking devices, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is an enlarged detailed View of the center lever-bracket.

To explain in detail 1 represents the end sill of a car, and 2 a car-coupler. This coupler, as herein shown, is of the vertical-plane type, and consists of the draw-head 3, the swinging hook or knuckle 4, having a hinged connection with said draw-head, and the coupling-pin 5, supported in a vertically-arranged opening in the draw-head for engaging with the inner arm of the knuckle 4 to hold the latter in a closed position.

A horizontally-arranged lever 6, mounted in two brackets '7 and 8, secured upon the sill of the car, is provided with a short laterallyprojecting arm 9 at one end, having a loose connect-ion with the coupling-pin through the medium of a chain 10, and at its opposite or outer end is provided with a second short arm 11, which is adapted to serve as a handle in operating the lever to raise the coupling-pin.

According to my present invention I have provided the center bracket 8 with an elongated slot 12, in which the lever 6 is supported. The lower wall of this slot is formed with a recess 13 at its rear end, in which the lever rests and has its bearing when in normal position, and extends at a rising incline, as at 14, from such recess to its forward end. This construction of the bracket 8 permits the inner end of the lever 6 to be drawn forward in the slot 12 by the coupler when the latter is drawn outward beyond its normal limit of movement and so prevents liability of breakage, binding, or displacement of the parts. When the coupler is moved backward to its normal position by the coming together of the cars or otherwise, the lever 6 also automatically returns to its normal position in the seat or recess 18 by reason of the inclined surface 1 L, down whichlatter the lever is caused to readily move by the jolting of the car. If necessary, however, the inner end of the lever may also be readily moved from the forward to the rear end of the slot 12 by means of its outer handle 11, the bracket 7 forming the fulcrum for the lever when so operated.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1-. The combination with a car coupler, supported to be longitudinally movable relative to a car and having a knuckle locking end with said locking device, of two brackprovided with an elongated 'slot having its ets located upon the car and supporting said lower wall formed with a recess at one end device, and a lever having connection at one I ter bracket for car-coupler-unlocking levers, I

lever adjacent to its opposite ends, the inner and extending at a slightly rising incline I5 5 or center bracket being provided with an from such recess to its forward end, for the elongated slot having its lower wall formed purpose set forth. with a recess at one end and extending at a slightly-rising incline from such recess to its forward end, substantially as and for the Vitnesses: IO purpose set forth. CHAS. F. DANE,

2. As a new article of manufacture, a 0011- i E. STEVENS.

STEPHEN J. MEEKER. 

